“Saving the lives of those in distress at sea must be the first priority,” said Jean Pierre Gauci, Amnesty International Malta group, in a letter to Justice and Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg.

In the letter, which was sent ahead of the Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Council Meeting due to be held next week in Luxembourg, Amnesty International called for the EU to take urgent measures to create a protection-oriented approach towards the recurrent crossings of the Mediterranean.

The letter follows last week’s incidents of migrants stranded at sea, which saw Malta in the spotlight of the international media and in the centre of a controversy over the responsibilities of the member states closest to Africa’s shores.

AIMG condemned the lack of political will of the majority of member states to engage seriously in a debate about the necessity of burden and responsibility-sharing with those member states most targeted.

Similar letters have also been sent to Dr Schauble, Home Affairs Minister of the German EU presidency, and Brigitte Zypries, Justice Minister and president of the JHA council, by AIEU (the European office of the same organisation).